Consortium 2012 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips

My comments are in blue. This year’s core application questions are identical to last year’s, and I’ve posted their guidelines from 2009 as well below:*

The following essay questions provide us with an opportunity to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, experiences, and any other traits and abilities that are considered relevant to your educational goals and long-term career objectives. Please include your full name and essay number or subject on each page. Type your essays in a standard size 8 1/2? x 11? MS Word document. Please limit each essay to no more than two double -spaced pages.

Core Essay #1(Required): Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. How has your professional experience shaped these goals and influenced your decision to pursue an MBA degree?

This is a straightforward MBA goals question. Connect the dots between your past and your dreamed of future; show how the MBA is the bridge between the two.

In discussing your professional experience, don’t regurgitate your resume. Highlight specific, influential, and impressive events or projects in your career to bring out both what you like and are good at.

Core Essay #2: Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? You may also use this essay to provide further explanation of employment gaps, test scores, etc. (Optional)

This is a question with a split personality. On one hand, it is open-ended. On the other, the Consortium says that this is the place to provide context for anything that might need explaining. Use it for that purpose. If you are one of the lucky ones who doesn’t need to “provide explanation,” then you can use this optional essay to provide a different perspective on your candidacy by revealing something new, something not present in the required MBA essays.